


I Promise U

by heartykeykeke



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Cherry Blossoms, Comedy, First Love, Fluff, M/M, Ongniel, Romance, Soulmates, Spring, bff turned crush, feel good story, i promuse u ipu, minhyun cameo, ongnielisscience, school au, slight mention of minhwan, sugary sweet like cotton candy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 23:04:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16207517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartykeykeke/pseuds/heartykeykeke
Summary: Seongwoo and Daniel have been roomies and besties at a bording school for years. Daniel gets a chance to go study abroad in Canada and Seongwoo encourages him to go even though they both don't want to be separated a week less than months. Their dynamic changes as they live apart, realizing their feelings for each other are different and much stronger than they had thought previously. Will they still be able to be friends after Daniel comes back?





	I Promise U

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ravepirate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravepirate/gifts).



I met you for the first time,

When the cherry blossoms fell.

The day when I felt strange shivering and excitement with a bit of fear.

I’m telling you now that I was scared.  
I thought maybe it was the end back then.

When I was clumsy, you embraced me.

When I was foolish, you hugged me.

I still remember the way you looked at me.

I will keep it in my heart forever.

I promise you that I won’t forget you.

You made me be reborn.

I promise you, I promise you.

I’ll be treat you better.

I promise you that I won’t let you go.

You became a light to me.

I promise you, I promise you.

On this shining spring day, I promise you.

 I Promise You by Wanna One

 

 

“Hmm, interesting...." Ong Seongwoo a student studying English in Mireu International Foreign Language Boarding School hummed.

 His feet were resting up on the wall, his long, black, skinny-legged claws even been able to reach up to nearly the ceiling as he took the top bunk. His head was resting on a large, white seal that was his favorite animal because a long time ago this babysitter noona he crushed on named Rave bought it for him at the zoo and said it looked like him, especially at the mouth and the freckles. They perfectly matched the unique triangular constellation marks on his cheek.

 Since then, he had felt drawn towards white fluffy seal dolls and collected them. He currently had 17 in his bed, though three were on loan to his roommate, the ones wearing heart glasses, a flower crown, and a bunny hat.

"What is? Tell me, tell me, t t t t tell me~" Kang Daniel, his roommate and best friend of nearly two years sang, poking his blond head out from the bottom bed and moving his fingers in a comical, sloppy copy of the dance.

"Yah, Seongwoo hyung! Tell me!"

Seongwoo laughed in disbelief and grabbed one of his seals and bopped Daniel on the head with it. "You bratty, ungrateful, rude, choding! How can you say yah and hyung in the same sentence? They cancel each other out and make you look like an uncivilized hooligan."

 "I'm from Busan, you know. That's just how we do it."

 He smiled wide in a dorky, cute way, making his fluffy cheeks puff out, his dimples appear, and his dark, almond shaped, warm, light brown eyes scrunch up in the most adorable eye smile. He was the sort of guy that was starkly handsome and naturally sexy enough to draw stares when he had a serious face but most of the time around Seongwoo he looked like a kid and a puppy mixed, too adorable to cause another sort of shock. Seongwoo was used to it though.

 He had confidence in his own looks, both handsome and cute aspects of which he also had that made it easy to get modeling jobs to scrape in extra cash for goodies and nights out and movies. It wasn't at all that he wasn't affected, he definitely noticed how attractive his friend was and even gave compliments, but Seongwoo was a person who cared more always about what was in the inside.

 It's what that pretty noona had first taught him. He had once laughed at the way someone looked on the streets as he was just a kid. Rave noona had sat him down right away and gave him a lecture and he had listened, because she was the first adult to bluntly tell him that his thoughts were wrong and it wasn't nice to act that way . Everyone else when kids were that age let things go because 'they’re young, they don't mean it, they will learn later, they're just a kid.'

He never forgot those words not to ever judge a book by a cover. Daniel was the epitome of that. Daniel was from a divorced family in Busan and he had been bullied for his slanted eyes and his bulkiness and his weird moments like how he often talked to himself. Because of that, when he came up to complete high school in Seoul because he liked English and got a scholarship offer here, he had been a shy, quiet, rather gloomy, negative kid that totally kept to himself.

Seongwoo in contrast was like black to his white, he was the complete opposite. He was from a sound, loving, supportive family with a sister and happily married parents. He had gotten only love and compliments and interest from various people his whole life. He had never been bullied or had his confidence knocked down. He was always bright, outgoing, talkative, joking around, and positive, mainly because he relieved all his stress and any negative feelings with frequent meditation sessions.

Seongwoo had first approached his roommate incessantly even though Daniel went out of his way to ignore and avoid him. Seongwoo would wake up earlier than Daniel to make him breakfast. He would wait for the guy who liked games to finish gaming so they could eat dinner whether it was making ramen or going out to get something spicy. He took care of Daniel's laundry and the housework and insisted they do their homework together. He marked the pages where Daniel had finished reading his comics late into the night so he wouldn’t agonize or complain about having to re-read. On the weekend, he convinced Daniel to go out to a cafe and study or an arcade or the movies.

For nearly two years now, Seongwoo had spent as much time in the room or on dates with Daniel as he could. Eventually, Daniel opened up completely to him like a clam put in salt water before cooking. Not that Seongwoo had any bad intention. He just liked to help people in need. He wanted Daniel to have friends and enjoy his time in Seoul and not be so introverted.

He learned a lot about Daniel during those times they spent at night just laying in bed chatting about a variety of topics from serious to outrageous to philosophically deep, such as about his mother's problems with her store and his father's debts and about how he'd dropped out of school after the bullying increased. He also learned that Daniel was a dorky, sweet, childish, affectionate, very warm, and kind-hearted kid. He was quite a bit brighter than his darker image and the shaggy black hair that shaded his eyes would suggest, so Seongwoo had convinced him to get it cut stylishly and dyed platinum blonde to match and so change his mood to being more approachable.

Their humor codes matched well as they often joked around and danced randomly and copied people on TV together. They were almost always laughing and smiling when they were together but not asleep. Seongwoo even convinced Daniel to meditate to relieve his feelings of depression, stress, lack of confidence, and anxiety related to school.

At some point, the one hanging more was not Seongwoo but Daniel. To the point that others might have felt suffocated, Daniel followed Seongwoo around and stuck right to his side, hugging, touching, cuddling up to, and teasing him relentlessly. He was really even more so like a puppy than just his looks had first suggested. Seongwoo wasn't ever annoyed by it though as he liked this sort of thing. In fact, he had always wanted a best friend that was inseparable and a lot like family or a boyfriend.

Currently, he was reading from his favorite poem collection before they were about to sleep that there was hardly any difference between a best friend and a soul mate. This brought about a variety of questions to his mind that he’d never pondered before.

"Do you believe in soulmates Niel?" he asked.

"You mean like the idea there is only one perfect person for everyone? No way! I think we have a ton of people in the world we are suitable with and it changes as our personality does with age. Soul mates is a bunch of bull."

 "Hmm, you think so...?"

Daniel crawled up on the ladder and put his chin on Seongwoo's shoulder, looking at the poem  he was reading.

 This particular book was a series of poems and discussions about their interpretation. This was his favorite poem, but he had had no idea it could be about the idea of soulmates and now he was caught up on the idea of if it could be true or not. The red string of fate too, he was thinking about that idea diligently.

"Hyung, why are you thinking so much? It's not like you. You're not the nerdy bookworm type. You even ask me to read the textbook out loud to you because it makes you sleepy."

Seongwoo shook his finger back and forth in a comical, diva like manner. Daniel rubbed his temples as a massage, like he sometimes did which Seongwoo always appreciated because his strong finger tips were magical. Seongwoo realized that Daniel was wearing his clothes again but he never complained as long as they didn't get stretched out by Daniel's huge shoulders. He had worn some of Daniel's clothes also, finding the oversized fit and the smell nice and comforting somehow, though it was probably weird to enjoy the smell of another man, especially one who liked to exercise a lot.

Daniel had a really fit body because of his daily work out routines in which he was trying to make his shoulders so big it was hard to get through a door. Girls were jealous of Seongwoo because they wanted to get close and date Daniel but Daniel only wanted to be close to Seongwoo. With everyone else, he was just the way he had first been with Seongwoo, acting quiet, gloomy, unapproachable, and indifferent. Then, when he looked at or joked with Seongwoo, his face would completely transform into this dorky, smiley, fluffy choding and he'd cling on him like putting his hand or chin on his shoulder or hugging him from behind. Because Daniel did that and because Seongwoo cared about how he dressed and styled his hair often, girls mistook them for a gay couple.

Seongwoo was sort of annoyed by that because he didn't want people guessing and judging his preferences but he didn't really care enough to scold Daniel about it. It was fine with him if his dongsaeng wanted to be affectionate. He was from an overly physically affectionate family honestly so he was okay with skinship, though he personally wasn't known to give it that much. Daniel sometimes pouted about how it seemed like Seongwoo didn't like him as much as he felt and asked him to be more affectionate.

Seongwoo tended to show his feelings in more miniscule, subtle ways such as doing chores and packing Daniel’s bags and buying him his favorite jellies or making ramen just the way he liked it with extra spice, cheese, sausage, and two eggs. That was just the way he was. Even with his family, it was odd to say things like ‘love you’ or ‘I care for you.’ They showed their love more so through their actions because actions spoke louder than words and they were a lot less awkward for everyone.

 Of course he cared for Daniel. He was Seongwoo's best friend and the coolest, most suitable roommate. He just didn’t show it exactly the same way that Daniel liked to. That was just another way in which they were complimentary opposites.

Seongwoo put down the book and grabbed his phone. His background was him and Daniel doing a V with him resting his chin on Daniel's shoulder. That was a rare moment of physical affection and to this day he still wasn’t sure what impelled him to suddenly do that. He remembered what day it was. Seongwoo had been sulky because he wanted to go out and see the autumn foliage but only couples could go and he didn't have a girlfriend, as he never had. Daniel had suggested they just go together.

He had refused at first because he knew they would get stared and laughed at. Usually that didn't bother him but this was an extremely couple thing to do. He figured it would feel really weird to do something romantic with his friend, especially a guy. Daniel kept pestering him and they went and people stared but the weirdest thing was that he didn't feel weird.

As Daniel played with his hair, putting the long brown locks in little apple stems on top of his head, Seongwoo looked up the definition of soulmates in Urban Dictionary. Here’s what he found:

Soulmate

It's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It's someone who makes you a better person, well, actually they don't make you a better person...you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you, and accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you'll always love them.

 

Seongwoo thought about the meaning for several moments as Daniel sang a Heize song and stroked his hair so it was falling back off his forehead. The definition wasn't as romantic sounding as he thought. Could it be that soulmates were also a term you could use with best friends?

 He sort of wanted to show Daniel and ask if it was possible for them, but he was sure Daniel would laugh it off or get weird. Maybe that sort of strange, out of the blue, rather ‘gay’ thought was better kept to himself. Where it didn't harm anyone. He sighed and put down his phone.

"Something wrong, hyung?" Daniel asked in concern, stepping up higher on the ladder so he could see his from directly above

 Seongwoo looked up at him for a long moment with a pensive expression. Then he reached up and pulled on Daniel's cheek which stretched out like elastic. He smiled and giggled.

 "Pfft. You have the weirdest skin. I'm just hungry. Let's go out and eat."

"You can do it too, so that’s just ‘calling the kettle black’ as they say in England. Feeling like jokbal? That's one of your faves and I keep saying later, later, next time. I think later can be now. But I want to see a movie and go to the VR area of the mall later."

"Only if you agree to go to Calvin's with me and hold my bags."

Daniel scrunched up his button nose. "Ugh, I hate it when you take advantage of my awesome arms. Maybe just one bag~"

Seongwoo shook his head and smirked. "No~pe. All of them. Take it or leave it."

They immediately read each other's mind with the twinkle in their eyes and said together 'rock, scissors, paper!' They were both sort of surprised when Seongwoo won as he rarely won anything.

"Ugh, my luck is awful today, maybe I should just stay in and eat ramen...." Daniel flopped back on his bed and threw a comical childlike fit.

Seongwoo sat up and threw his legs off the edge, putting his feet on the wooden ladder rungs. He waved goodbye to his cute, accessorized seal family, or as Daniel liked to think of as his Army of Cute Fluff.

"What's the use of having all that hard junk in your arms and never using it for physical labor. Don't be so lazy and stingy. I’m helping you keep fit."

"I would rather use it for something not so girly."

 "What are you supposed to do with it then?" Seongwoo rolled his eyes.

 Daniel jumped up and grabbed under his knees. "Something like swoop damsels off their feet."

"I'm not a-- Don't you dare-- Yah, Kang Choding! Put me down before you break both our backs! I'm heavy."

"You're really not, you’re as light as a feather," Daniel joked with a deep, husky laugh.

Seongwoo blushed. This was just too weird. He was now in Daniel's arms bridal style. "This strips away all my pretenses of having a masculine image. Think of my pride. Stop teasing me for being naturally thin and incapable of exercising," Seongwoo whined with a 'hing' sound and pouty frown, wiggling his long legs up and down to be released.

Daniel did let him down, careful to be sure he had his footing before he let him go. Seongwoo blushed at feeling like if Daniel had a girlfriend that's how he had thought of her and treated her. They had talked about that before. Daniel had had several girlfriends and Seongwoo was envious of that because he had none. Maybe he couldn't get any because he couldn't do that sort of cool thing.

But then again, he hadn't even crushed seriously on someone yet. He had somehow never been interested. Though he had never been interested in guys either. Maybe he was one of those A sexuals, maybe he was supposed to be a monk. Well, he did do meditation when he was stressed every here and there. It helped him clear his mind center himself and reorganize his thoughts and chaotic emotions.

 

 

"Slow down and breathe." Seongwoo slapped Daniel's knee. Daniel jumped in shock and started coughing as a piece of meat got stuck in his throat.

"Shit, sorry, Niel! Spit it out~" Seongwoo sounded worried as he hit Daniel's back and rubbed it.

Daniel kept coughing and then drank some water. "I'm going to take a break…" Daniel huffed after he had drank three cups of water and finally stopped coughing.

He noticed that Seongwoo had beads of sweat on his forehead. He must have been genuinely worried. This worry wort cute Ongcheongie, Daniel thought with affection as he dabbed the beads away with his sleeve. Then he realized maybe he should have left it there because it made the movie star appearing man seem even more ridiculously handsome. He could have helped Seongwoo get a girl. There was a sufficient number of people glancing at him around the restaurant.

Daniel rested his head on his hand and smiled as he watched Seongwoo eat. The way that he took tiny, quick bites with his lips pursed and tightly pressed together so as not to show people what was in his mouth because he thought that was the most disgusting thing ever and put some in his cheeks made him look exactly like a squirrel or a rabbit. Seongwoo was the most adorable man on Earth as Daniel saw it. Daniel envied all the same things that he liked about Seongwoo. He wished he could be reborn as him or switch bodies for one day to live in his perfect life.

Seongwoo wasn't the brightest but he was hilarious, confident, kind, sincere, trustworthy, and he attracted people like a magnet. He was friends with half the school and the rest wanted to be but were a bit intimidated to approach him so they all just followed him on SNS and commented there. It was only his looks that were intimidating though, Daniel knew. That's why he had avoided him at first.

Seongwoo was always smiling and friendly to everyone, positive and bright like the summer sun. At first he had found him too blinding. Usually people like Seongwoo who were the total opposites of him just annoyed him and tired him out. Somehow, he hadn't felt like that for long though. Seongwoo had worked his way into his heart and his life, bit by bit day by day like a snail edging into its shell home. Until he was able to be himself, even shedding his gloomy reserved self. Seongwoo had become the light that scared away much of the darkness and depression creeping on his soul and weighing him down. Well, he was still a bit negative and lacking confidence and scared to make friends after all the bullying and betrayals he had had.

However, Seongwoo made him a better version of himself and stripped away or hid many of the qualities he disliked. Seongwoo, in other words, made actually caused him to like himself, the person he was with Seongwoo he could tolerate and have confidence in somewhat.

 "You're staring again, Niel-ah. Why do you do that? It makes me anxious, stop it~" Seongwoo looked really pretty when he blushed and got all sulky so he enjoyed teasing the older man who often felt younger.

Daniel wondered again if it was strange to think a guy was pretty. He wasn't sure if his tastes were changing since he met Seongwoo or Seongwoo was just one of those confiding guys because he reminded him of a girl sometimes. He started laughing at the image of Seongwoo in a wig, which was just terrifying because of his sharp enough to cut apples jaw and the cleft on his pointy chin. Seongwoo's lower features at least were clearly masculine but his upper features reminded him of a girl, especially his warm, dark chocolate brown, round bit eyes with the spindly ebony lashes.

"I heard that men get more handsome if they're stared at. I'm trying to help your love life. I'm like Cupid."

 "Well, Stupid Cupid, can you send your arrows elsewhere? Because this is the sort of thing that makes people misunderstand that we're in some sort of something relationship. Remember, no homo gap in public."

"Ah, right. You're so squeamish sometimes. I thought you cared less about what people thought than I do."

Daniel looked away and moved a bit further down the bench so they weren't as close. Seongwoo went back to eating more peacefully. "I don't but it's impossible for me to get a girlfriend when there's rumors still floating about that I'm dating you."

 Daniel shrugged. "I don't want to date anyway. The girls around Seoul are no good. So plastic and materialistic and two-faced."

 From then on Seongwoo and Daniel discussed variations of Korean girls, both coming to the conclusion that foreign girls were better and they wanted to go out to meet them. At some point some classmates of Seongwoo’s came over. He chatted and took a picture with them. Seongwoo tried to get Daniel to open up but as usual with other people Daniel clammed up, acted indifferent, and was rather rude.

Seongwoo scolded him about it on the way to the VR area.

Daniel explained bluntly, "I don't need any friend but you, hyung. You're an exhausting handful enough as it is. I’ve already got more seal than I can chew, who needs other farm animals."

"I take offense to that seeing as you are much more exhausting. You are clingy and follow me around like a puppy."

 Daniel tossed his arm over Seongwoo's shoulder and poked his cheek, "You don't hate it though. If you did, you would have said so directly. That's your personality. I know you well."

"Ugh, I hate that you do too..." Seongwoo muttered.

“I know also that you aren't capable of that emotion. You're a sweet ball of seal looking fluff," Daniel teased and blew on his ear.

Seongwoo squeaked and shook his head, trying to avoid the ticklish wind by putting his ear to his shoulder. "Stop teasing me! Meanie!" Seongwoo huffed, pulling his signature, aegyo-filled hing face.

 "Never~" Daniel sang a line from a hit group on some idol survival show that was all the rage that they watched together every week.

They both enjoyed watching TV and listening to music, throwing random dance parties while drinking somaek in their room. Seongwoo had brought in some of his other close friends but Daniel was still warming up to them so he usually hid in his blankets with his Nintendo playing games after a few minutes. Daniel didn't know why but he didn't like sharing his best friend. Whenever Seongwoo gave attention to others, he felt jealous and sulky and didn't want to socialize, though he knew Seongwoo was trying to get him more friends out of his own heart.

 I don't need anyone but hyung though, when is he going to realize that, he thought with slight frustration. Following that, he though of how during those times Seongwoo would bring him snacks and sit in his bed imitating the game character’s voices and dramatic actions until he was in a much better mood.

 

 

At the VR arcade they took turns in the motorcycle simulator. Daniel had a blast picking on Seongwoo by splashing water and hitting him with a toy hammer to make the effects even more realistic. As ever, the natural born comedian who had more funny bones than regular bones in his body went along with him to make a comedy skit that would make any audience keel over with laughter if they had one by pretending the game was attacking him and he was shocked and scared for his life.

After their fill of gaming in which Daniel always got higher scores or won, as per usual, Seongwoo was sulky. He hated losing to Daniel even though he was used to it. Daniel felt bad because whenever they played team games, he got caught up in winning and let out his frustrations on Seongwoo by calling him hopeless and barking orders at him and saying why he couldn't do such simple actions with the controller.

"Don't be upset anymore, hyung. Sorry I was a jerk."

 Seongwoo brushed away his hand and crossed his arms, turning his sculpted nose up in the air huffily.

 "Hmph. Ddongwu is Ddokddanghae."

"Eh~ Sorry~" Daniel hugged Seongwoo which he was weak to and repeated the phrase as cute as he could in his thick Busan accent which his hyung was even weaker to.

 Seongwoo was blushing and biting back a smile a minute of cuddles and cute, accented, aegyo apologies later. Daniel couldn't help but grin though he was trying to show he was sincere. Seongwoo looked too adorable now, adorable enough to bite actually. He was tempted but Seongwoo was sort of a germ freak so he would freak him out if he did which would make him even angrier and earn him a few chest swats.

"What can I do to get my little cute Ddongwu happy again?"

 "Buy me clothes~" he answered in his sweet, comical baby tone with terrible Korean pronunciation.

"Arasseo, arasseo. Stop pouting then and I'll buy you as much as you want, even if it's name brands."

"Okay~" Seongwoo giggled and instantly brightened, his pretty, warm, dark chocolate eyes sparkling and scrunching up.

His smile was blinding and contagious. Daniel, even back that first week they had roomed together when he was putting all his energy into keeping a straight or disinterested face, had a hard time not smiling in return.

 They went to Calvin Klein, Seongwoo's favorite store. Daniel went around to all the bright colored shirts and hoodies trying to get Seongwoo to choose something that wasn't black but he always went to his classic favorites in the end.

Seongwoo had told him each time they went shopping that black was his comfort zone and he liked how it could be work any season or any occasion. Choosing clothes was a pain every day so he would rather put his energies into his studies or sleeping or eating or drawing or reading poetry or into hair styling which he had fun with. Daniel insisted that if he didn't wear colors now when he was young he was going to regret it when he was older and everyone was wearing bleak colors.

 In the end, Seongwoo bought a set of clothes in black but Daniel smiled proudly to see a single red belt sticking out of the pile on top of the register counter. He had finally won his stubborn hyung over. Finally, there would be some fleck of color in that black hole he called a closet.

The next place they went was the movies. Daniel liked all movies except horror and romance. They chose an action movie set in the ancient Joseon period. Seongwoo and Daniel imitated the old way of speaking while eating snacks and cola. Seongwoo made Daniel crack up laughing by imitating the haegum sound during an emotional scene with the instrumental part playing in the background. Daniel nearly spilled half the popcorn while he was laughing and slapping his legs so enthusiastically.

Seongwoo was hilarious, Daniel never laughed so hard or so often. Daniel liked laughing and the peace and euphoria that followed it. It was like healing for his scarred, slightly broken, often suffering light depression soul as he had spent the majority of his life dealing with dark, troublesome stuff. Seongwoo was the medicine that he had needed, he was like a panacea.

Feeling quite tuckered out from his laughing fit, he sank down in the chair with his legs up on the empty front row seat back like Seongwoo already was and snuggled into the other's hood covered shoulder. It made a surprisingly nice pillow and he found himself drifting off to sleep at one time during a romance scene because he usually found them a snooze fest for some reason.

 

 

 "Okay, I see. Thanks for thinking of me. I will think about it and get back to you next week. Oh, they want to know right away? Okay I will let you know."

"What was that about?"

Seongwoo was laying on the floor, playing a mini drum set on his tummy, using one of his seals with a pair of rose heart glasses on it as a pillow. Daniel mimicked Seongwoo's raised eyebrow unconsciously. Sometimes they copied each other's expressions without thinking much of it. It was a natural consequence of spending every day together for nearly two years.

“That was my aunt…She said that she has a friend who is willing to let me do a home stay, in Canada.”

“Oh…” Seongwoo paused and blinked for several moments. Then he sat up and crossed his legs, his heart racing for some reason.

“For how long does she want you to go?”

“Between a month and two months. Depends on how much I like it there. She got permission from the school. I just need to decide whether to go.”

“Are you going to go?” Seongwoo gulped.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, what’s the reason you’re thinking of not going? This seems like an opportunity you would jump on…” Seongwoo asked curiously, then putting away the toy and giving Daniel his full attention and a gentle smile to show he was open to listen to him as long as he needed.

They both looked at each other for several silent moments. Each of them were thinking that they didn’t really want to be separated but since it was a good opportunity and they were two guys who had been friends awhile, it was sort of weird to come out and say that. Daniel was wondering about if he should call his aunt back and ask if a friend could come too. Seognwoo was thinking of asking him to make the time a bit shorter because it would be lonely to have this big room all to his self when he was used to having another person with him.

“You should go. It’s a good opportunity. Your English will get a lot better. And you will get to eat lots of yummy foods and see famous places. You can easily take a trip to America too. I envy you.”

Seongwoo felt like he shot himself in the foot there. He wondered why he was saying the opposite of what he felt. Then again, it would be odd for him to seem so against it. Daniel and him weren’t married or tethered at the ankles. They could stand being a part a month or two. They could still text. Nothing was going to change. It wasn’t like he was going to die of boredom without him around. He had other friends to keep him occupied in his free time.

Daniel picked at the seal bear’s ears on his bed, staring at Seongwoo, reading his face and trying to read the muddled tornado of emotions going through his body. This was a great opportunity and he should feel excited. Yet somehow he wanted to refuse. He didn’t like the idea of going that long without seeing his friend.

What if Seongwoo got close to someone else while he was gone? What if he wanted that person to replace Daniel as his roommate? Why did he feel like a worried, untrusting boyfriend that was about to go into a long-distance relationship with a really popular, pretty girl? Would anything be interesting without his funny friend there?

“I’m going to go out for ice cream. Do you want some?”

“Uh, sure. Chocolate and…”

“Caramel with the chopped nuts on top in a cone, not a bowl, right? Got it.”

They both shared a little smile. Then Seongwoo jumped up, stepped into slippers, and left the room. Once he was gone, he was able to breath properly and press down on his racing heart. He had simply had to get out of that room. Somehow he just felt angry, anxious, stuffy and like he was on the verge of tears.

Why did the idea of Daniel going hundreds of miles away from him physically hurt?

Daniel laid back in his bed and stared at the abandoned seal which largely resembled his friend but couldn’t be considered even half as cute or pretty. He put his hand at his chest and felt that his heart was itchy and racing and sort of stinging.

Why did the idea Seongwoo getting closer to others in his absence and forgetting about him freak him out?

 

 

Daniel ended up leaving for Canada the next week. Until the very end, Seongwoo didn’t say anything that would let on his apprehensive, lonely feelings and Daniel didn’t tell him about his worries of being forgotten. They were two guys that happened to be friends and roommates. They were not lovers that should pine and make a big scene about being apart for a while. Especially when this was a great opportunity for Daniel that would help his future studies.

Seongwoo went to the airport with Daniel and they hugged, just once. It made them both feel awkward, but that was more so because when they were doing it they hugged for much longer than was normal for guys because neither could bare to let the other go.

“Take care. Stuff yourself. Play hard, study hard. See you in a few.”

“Enjoy your noise and mess free space. Rest and don’t study too hard. I’ll text you.”

“I’ll respond. With silly emoticons.”

“I’ll send you pup videos then.”

“Sounds good. Seals still better by a million though.”

“Seal addict.”  
“Choding.”

“Ong cheongie.”

“Meong meongie.”

They bumped fists a couple times, both of them secretly using it as an excuse just to keep touching each other. They couldn’t stop smiling as they looked at each other, knowing this would be the last time. The smiles had a slight bitterness to them but they were also affectionately sweet in a way that would have confused any bystander about what their relationship exactly was.

Seongwoo waved to Daniel as he was leaving, dragging behind his silver metallic suitcase full of Apeach stickers. Daniel turned around suddenly and stopped. Seongwoo cocked his head and put out his hands in a ‘What?’ gesture. Daniel had a strange look on his face that was difficult to interpret. He got a sense of hesitation, first and foremost.

“Is it okay to go?” he asked slow and soft.

No, it isn’t. I would really prefer if you didn’t go. Please don’t go, in fact. After two years, it’s going to be weird without you here. I’m going to be lonely and worried about you every day.

That was exactly what Seongwoo was screaming in his mind. That would be selfish of him and Seongwoo was anything but a selfish person.

“Yes, it is. Go before you miss your flight! Go, go, sing~!” Seongwoo san brightly, forcing a carefree smile and pumping up his fist.

Daniel laughed and smiled brightly, all signs of that odd look gone or suppressed, Seongwoo wasn’t sure which one. It had been a very long time since he had seen Daniel look like that and it was prickling him. He always forced Daniel to sit down and talk about all of his negative feelings and then they meditated together for an hour, that way Daniel could feel better and sort through what he was feeling and how he was going to deal with it. Regrettably, they had no time to do that and the decision to leave had already been set out and was unchangeable so they couldn’t make time for what Daniel needed. Seongwoo could only pray that it wasn’t something serious.

“Go, go, sing~” Daniel shouted and then shot off toward the terminal with his arm out like superman, making rocket blast sounds.

Seongwoo's smile faded and his arm slowly dropped to his sides, his shoulders sinking with a feeling of unbearable heaviness as he watched the broad-backed, hooded figure moving farther and farther away...

 

 

Daniel was lying on the couch with his aunt’s friend’s dogs, flipping through Instagram photos. His time in Canada was alright. It wasn’t as exciting as he had hoped. Then again, that was probably because he hardly ever went outside the small city he was staying in. He had gone to a couple big cities in America and all around Canada but traveling got boring after a while.

Everything looked the same. Bunch of trees, pretty yards, big houses, sky scrapers, Starbucks on every corner in each city. The food had been great at first, but eventually he started getting stomach aches from all that dairy, oil, and salt. He was suffering homesickness, missing Korea. He was missing seeing Hangul everywhere instead of the English alphabet he often had to search the meanings for things. He was craving for some ramen, seaweed, kimchi and jokbal and other typical Korean foods that he never got to have here.

Above all things, he was missing Seongwoo. He hadn’t made a single friend in Canada. The only people he talked to out loud was his host family, the dogs, and himself. With his host family, he had to speak English and he realized that his speaking wasn’t nearly as good as his reading and writing abilities. It wasn’t like he couldn’t communicate about casual things, but constantly translating and worrying about grammar and having to think of the word and look up stuff on his phone while talking about something simple like how dinner tasted or what his plans for the next day was mentally tasking and made him all over tired.

He missed being able to rest in his bed and chat for hours about random things in his mother tongue like he had with Seongwoo. When he first got there, he had regularly called his mother because he wanted to talk to someone in Korean and hear a voice from home but she had gotten annoyed with him because she was busy with her shop and told him to stop calling and go study or meet some Canadian friends instead. She should know that he couldn’t do that. Daniel’s personality wouldn’t allow for it. The only person that he could be himself with was hundreds of miles away and, to be honest, though it was really terrible for a Busan man to say about another man, he missed Seongwoo terribly.

As he did a couple of times every day, he went to Seongwoo’s Instagram to check what he had posted. There wasn’t anything from today yet. Well, it was still in the mid-afternoon there so Seongwoo would be in class. The most recent photo was from last night. He had been playing with his seal dolls, accessorizing them with bags, flower crowns, bunny hats, and wizard hats. He lined a bunch of them up and took a picture like he was doing some sort of fashion display.

“Ong princess at his fashion play again,” Daniel joked, chuckling to himself as he looked at it and read the comments.

There were thirty in total. A lot of Seongwoo’s friends and admirers had commented on this one, just as they commented on most. A lot of the girls were talking about how cute and funny he was and how they wanted to steal his seals. The guys were just harassing him for being weird and having a seal fetish. The last time Daniel checked, Seongwoo had had over five hundred people following him and was following around three hundred, mostly people from his school days and various shoots and events he had participated in as a freelance model and drummer throughout his life. Daniel envied and also hated the fact that Seongwoo was a social butterfly. He wished that he could be that friendly, on the one hand. Then, on the other hand, he didn’t like that he had to share his best friend with hundreds of others.

Daniel had been messaging Seongwoo once a week or so. It irked him that Seongwoo was never the one to message him first, though he wasn’t certain if things had been that way for a long while or not. Even more irritating was that while they were messaging on that day that he finally took the initiative after debating every six days between whether he should message him first this time or not, Seongwoo would take quite a while to read his message. Daniel wondered if he was with someone or texting others and it bothered him that he wasn’t being considered a priority. Seongwoo had never ignored him when they were talking face to face or even gotten distracted by others, not for long anyway because Daniel could bother him.

 At those times, Daniel just sent a ton of puppies with angry faces or barking until he got Seongwoo’s attention and a reply finally came. He never explained what it was that was taking him away from their Kakao chat. That was the third thing that was bothering him. The biggest annoyance however was Hwang Minhyun, his fourth stitch in the side.

On two of the occasions that Seongwoo wasn’t giving him the proper amount of attention he felt he deserved while texting, the same night he had posted on his Instagram a selfie with Minhyun. One time was in a café and another time was at the movies. It immensely bothered him that Minhyun was like the replacement for Seongwoo’s dates.

Seongwoo wanted to go to these places but he didn’t like to go alone. When they first became roommates, Seongwoo had drug Daniel to these places with him and many others like the mall or the amusement park or the river for picnicking and bike riding. At first he had hated it being two guys doing something rather couply. Then, at some point, it had become just an ‘ongniel’ sort of thing. They went out often after school and on the weekends doing things that others would deem couply.

He had thought it was just something that they did together. Now he felt very much left out and like he wasn’t special seeing as Seongwoo did those things with some other friend of his.

The issue largely was that Daniel knew Minhyun. Minhyun wasn’t in the closet. He was out and he was flamboyant. Minhyun was gay and he happened to be all over guys he considered handsome. He was a skinship and kissing addict. It bothered Daniel from a long time ago that Seognwoo was even friends with this guy. Now he realized though that it wasn’t because he disliked gay guys as he had seen plenty in Canada and not found himself at all bothered by it. He was bothered by the idea that maybe Seongwoo was as well or that Minhyun would turn him.

If Minhyun became Seongwoo’s boyfriend, then what would happen to their friendship? He would hardly be able to spend any time with Seongwoo. He might even have to move out of the dorms. After that, he stalked both of their instagrams regularly, trying to judge from their posts or comments on each other’s pictures what sort of relationship they had and if it was progressing into something romantic. He couldn’t get a good read on it. He really wanted to ask Seongwoo but no matter how close they were, it was definitely wrong to ask ‘hey, are you gay and is the guy in this picture your boyfriend?’ Even if it was true, Seongwoo was likely to deny it asked out right like that, at least if he was planning on keeping his orientation covered up.

If he was going to be gay though, why Minhyun? Wouldn’t I be more his type? I’m funny, caring, reliable, strong, ripped, and exciting.

He shook his head, wondering why he asked that question and then especially why he felt for a moment like he wanted to be Seongwoo’s boyfriend instead. His jealousy was out of the blue and irrational. He didn’t understand why he didn’t like Seongwoo getting close to others and was paranoid about being forgotten but it just made him more miserable on top of how he already felt incredibly homesick.

Daniel sent another message to Seongwoo when he didn't respond to the first one.

Ongcheongie. Did you leave the dorm without your phone again? Or have you lost it? Or dropped it in the toilet again? I swear you are the most hopeless person. Who knows what sort of trouble you have fallen prey to with me not being there to save you or point it out in time. Take care of yourself and your belongings, pabo.

Like me, he thought. Daniel was in a way one of Seongwoo's belongings, wasn't he? And he was feeling as ignored and forgotten as Seongwoo’s phone often was. He sighed as he went back to looking through Seongwoo's Instagram. Still, there wasn't anything new, in fact most of it he had seen hundreds of times.

 Seongwoo liked to take selfies and he also liked to take pretty scenery and food photos. Everything was colorful and prettily taken except for the fact Seongwoo was usually in black.

"Sometimes I hate that you're so good looking and popular. Do you really have to be friendly with everyone? Can't you just be a homebody with selective friends you see once a week like most students?" He scolded the black capped, seal nose kissing guy's photo that had the most likes and comments from girls.

This is as close as you're ever going to get to a girlfriend you seal obsessed loser, he wrote in the comment section. He was pretty sure he would be attacked by Seongwoo's fangirls that were too scared to get close and ask him to date directly. However, he wanted to get some sort of revenge for being ignored and replaced by some skinny fox looking pretty boy.

Seongwoo would be sufficiently offended and irritated by his comment. Then Daniel would be able to talk to him for a bit at least. Which is all he really wanted.

He missed his best friend, so much that he hadn't thought it was possible. How was it that someone had come to mean this much to him in a couple years? He hadn't thought not seeing or talking to Seongwoo every day would be this hard. He had been holding back from calling or messaging him every day because he had his manly, Busan ssangnamja pride and he didn't want to seem like a weirdo by clinging to a guy. Guys thought that sort of thing was weird.

Oddly enough, Daniel felt like if their situations were reversed and Seongwoo obsessively called and texted him that he would be pretty darn happy about it. Maybe he was a weird guy. Maybe he was the obsessive, possessive sort of friend. He couldn't really say what sort of friend he was because Seongwoo was the only person he had let go past acquaintance into the friendship zone since he was a child.

Daniel smiled and his heart beat increased with a surge of excitement as he got an alert from Ongie.

What are you so grouchy for, pup? I didn't lose or damage my phone and I haven't for several months, thank you very much.

What were you doing then? You were taking forever to answer again.

Daniel then sent a growling, glaring dog. Daniel chuckled, feeling pleased Seongwoo sent a picture of a boy hugging a samoyed puppy around the neck much too tightly so that the dog’s eyes were about to pop out of its skull. Daniel laughed and pressed a finger under his nose.

Sorry I wasn't doing it on purpose~ I wouldn't ignore you. I was just with Minhyun.

His mood instantly dropped. Seongwoo affected his emotions like a rollercoaster these days. He was starting to wonder if he had been wrongly diagnosed with depression when it was actually bipolar disorder.

 Oh...what are you two up to today? You sure hang out a lot. Be careful or he will make you the next victim of his kissing addiction.

He tried to make the text sound light and teasing but inwardly he was fuming and anxious. The thing about Minhyun was that he was very similar to Seongwoo, especially in their likes and personalities. It wasn't like Daniel who was the opposite of Seongwoo and they had to compromise about some things they did together. The other thing was that he was openly gay.

As far as Daniel knew, he had a crush on their mutual friend Jaehwan, but from what he had heard, Jaehwan was too interested in becoming a singer to have time for any dating though he likely knew about Minhyun's feelings and still kept him around because he felt the same. Daniel was worried that Minhyun was moving on to Seongwoo and he didn't like the idea of his friend’s feelings being played with and being used as a rebound. Seongwoo deserved so much better from whoever he was dating in the future whether he was into boys or girls which Daniel had never asked because he felt it was rude to. Seongwoo should be someone's moon, sun, stars, gravity, and just everything if they were to like him. Since he was a special, sweet, sincere, and genuinely good person with a heart of gold.

 Seongwoo was the only person who approach him and tried to fix his scars and fears and get him to open up to someone besides his cats and mom. That's how Daniel knew. Others gave up or didn't bother with him for years before he had met Seongwoo. Maybe that's why he felt a special way and that caused him to have difficulties being away from him.

 Even if he couldn't explain or understand it, the truth of the matter was evident. He missed his friend terribly and it was going to be a freaking long, boring, miserable month more.

 

 

"Wait a minute. I need to get this." Seongwoo interrupted Minhyun who was showing him something from his novel when he saw his phone flash with a message from Daniel.

He didn't want to be rude to Minhyun but he wouldn't be able to focus on a thing he was saying without looking at the contents which would be even more rude. He had been waiting anxiously all week for Daniel to message him. He wished that Daniel would message him more often honestly. He enjoyed talking to him and hearing about being abroad and seeing pictures of exotic foods and places. Mostly he just liked exchanging jabs and jokes with his best friend he hadn’t seen in ages and never been apart from this long.

The room felt bigger and colder and eerily quiet without Daniel, which made him uncomfortable and lonely and sad, which were feelings he wasn't used to or had any idea how to deal with. Hence, he went outside with friends or found some activities he could do on his own like shopping or taking walks downtown or in the park as often as he could.

Seongwoo wanted to message Daniel but something stopped him. He was worried what Daniel would think of a guy messaging him obsessively. He would probably misunderstand that Seongwoo was gay for him and get seriously weirded out. Since Daniel wasn't the clingy type, well he hadn't been until the past few months at least. But that was more physical and Seongwoo just figured he liked being affectionate once he was fully opened up to someone and thought of them as sort of like family or a pet.

Actually, that would make sense if Seongwoo was a replacement for his cats so that's why he touched him often. Because Daniel sometimes had said he missed his cats more than any human and that he looked more like a cat than a seal. In which Seongwoo would get offended and defend his sweet Rave noona who had originally started the whole seal thing.

 The other reason he didn't message him first was he figured Daniel was busy and he would be the one to do it if he had time and was thinking of him. Daniel was sure to be busy studying and eating and sightseeing in the places he had dreamed of someday going. It wasn't right for Seongwoo to selfishly bother him because he felt a bit lonely or ignored.

 Seongwoo didn't like to be the type to message first anyway. He preferred to respond . He wasn't ever really sure what to message if he had to do it first and it was always some awkward out of the blue question or oddball comment that made his friends reply with confusion.

 Minhyun quietly went back to reading and note -taking in his book as Seongwoo checked his messages. They went out every once in a while to a cafe to read and discuss interesting points and passages. It would be considered boring to others but to them it was their enjoyable past-time and they were the only ones into it in their vicinity.

Seongwoo snickered as he messaged Daniel. He found it cute that Daniel was being sulky about being ignored. He loved the puppy gifs and pics that accompanied his texts. It reminded him of Daniel since he made similar expressions like that dog. He had always favored dogs over cats and thus he ended up favoring Daniel over his other friends even though he was meeting them regularly and sometimes got busy so he missed the occasional times Daniel messaged him. He was simply using them as a distraction. There was no way that Seongwoo could ever think of replacing Daniel. No one was as entertaining.

 Me and Minhyun are just at the cafe, studying. What are you up to? More exciting stuff?

Oh, just the usual. I'm out wandering and having a blast. Saw a soccer game. Canada is great. Especially the air and people. They're nice. I am making lots of new friends and keeping busy.

 Seongwoo's heart sank and he pouted. Every time he asked, Daniel would mention meeting new friends and having fun. He wanted to see who those friends were and ask if Daniel found them nicer or more entertaining than him. He also wanted to know if Daniel was having so much fun that he would request to extend and decide not to come back for even longer or maybe not ever. He felt angry, betrayed, and disheartened by that . He got angry, stinging prickles in his chest at the idea of being replaced as his best friend and maybe not seeing him for a long time .

Even a month had been difficult enough and he had at least a few weeks to a month more to go. He wasn't sure how he was going to get through it. It was getting impossible not to call or message him on a daily basis, he regularly checked his Instagram posts terrified to see these new friends, and even the distractions weren't working well.

 Minhyun was a nice guy, the one who he got along with best out of all of his extra, side friends as he thought of them, but he wasn't funny and he hardly ever joked. With Minhyun being rather serious and calm all the time, he ended up craving for those moments when Daniel would tease him, act childish, or do something really weird and spontaneous. Seongwoo had both a fun and a serious side, but honestly, he preferred how Daniel coaxed his fun side out often. He felt more entertained, enjoying life more, and being able to laugh until his stomach with hurt gave him a rush of good feelings that was like healing and stress relief. It was more effective as medicine than even meditation proved to be.

After a night hanging out with Daniel, he was able to forget any worries or stress or frustrations he may have had in the day and then he was able consequently to sleep extremely well and the next day he woke up refreshed and full of positive vibes. Since Daniel had been gone, that had not been the case. His teachers and friends had all commented about how this past month he was usually moody, cranky, quiet and gloomy. The only times he wasn't was on days and right after he got a message from Daniel.

 I'm glad you're having fun. Finally meeting new people. That's good. Now the world will slowly realize you’re just a huge childish dork. Did you eat?

 I ate a ton. Snacks and three platefuls of spaghetti. What about you?

I just had a salad.

 A salad doesn't count as dinner. Go out of the cafe and eat something now.

 I don't have much of an appetite.

 Why not? T.T Are you sick?

 Don't worry about it. Stress and not sleeping much and having a little cold, that's why I guess.

Did you go see a doctor? Why don't you try drinking warm milk or light sleeping pills?

 It's okay. I'm sure it's temporary. You don't need to act like my second mom. I get enough of her nagging me a couple times a week already as it is. I certainly don't need more. Calm down, boy~

Besides I am sure all my ailments especially this moodiness will disappear as soon as you come back, Seongwoo thought but didn't type. He didn't want Daniel to feel weirded out by missing him to this extent. Then, he might feel obligated to either never come back because he thought Seongwoo was gay and had a crush on him or he might feel obligated to come back right away which would rob him of various adventures and fun activities he could be having instead.

 I am worried though. I can tell something is wrong because you're brushing me off. I know how you work Ong, you're not the ninja you think you are. You're a terrible liar. I want to call you. Will you be going home soon?

I would love that. I miss you and I have been wanting to hear your voice, Seongwoo typed without thinking. Then, he gasped right before his thumb was about to press the send arrow.

"What the hell am I doing? I sound like a pining girlfriend. No, no, no, delete, delete, delete~"

"Hmm?" Minhyun lifted his head with a questioning curious gaze.

Seongwoo shook his head and flicked his hand in a nonverbal cue just to ignore him. Thank God I snapped out of it before I sent it, he thought. The message was too obvious about his weird feelings he was having. Daniel would think it was bonkers.

Or would he? Maybe he was feeling something similar. Seeing as how he did message him first after all. But did messaging a friend or even joke flirting and touching each other and sending some video in the hopes it made the other laugh because they looked the best then like they often did to each other mean something weird? Were they having thoughts beyond friends?

 It's nothing. You don't need to call and check up me. You think I will be crying over a failed test or something? You know I never cry.

 Seongwoo sent a message to Daniel and then stared at his phone's previous messages in deep thought. He was wondering about his feelings from the last year and if the way they thought people misunderstood their unusually close relationship possibly had some truth to it. He wondered why he had yet to have a girlfriend and found kissing scenes in romance movies kind of gross or boring.

"Min, how did you know you were gay?"

Minhyun closed his book over one finger and put his pointy chin in his hand. "Um, it was simple. I fell in love with a boy. He was my best friend. Once I confessed, he admitted he felt the same. We dated for a while."

 "Ah, really? It didn't go well?"

"Hmm, hard to say. That was Jaehwan, you see. It was when we were just kids. Since then, we sort of drifted apart because he's more into music than romance. I'm still in love with him though and waiting for him to have time to come back to me."

"When about did you guys notice? Do you see yourself getting together in the future? How are you two able to still be friends after breaking up?"

 That was scary. The idea of losing Daniel if they were in that situation. Not that he was necessarily thinking he was romantically in love with Daniel. He just trying to put himself in their shoes. It seemed like a lot of things could go wrong yet it hadn't. He knew that Jaehwan and Minhyun were still very close, though Jaehwan hardly had time for anyone the past year.

 "It took us ages to notice it. We were confused about where the line was in our feelings beyond friends to something else. We both fell in love before we even had pubic hair or knew about sex and sexual preferences. We were still able to be friends I guess because we didn't get physical as we were too young to think of that. I have a feeling that we are soulmates so we will get drawn together again. Things will be different this time. I am ready to get physical and I bet our relationship would change permanently once that happens."

"Ah, physical....so you never kissed? Hmm, there's that word again. Soulmates. You think it's possible? Do you think that soulmates doesn't just need to apply to something romantic? Couldn't, say, your best friend be considered a soulmate?"

Seongwoo showed him the definition he had screen captured several weeks ago.

"I definitely kissed Jaehwan, many times. We just didn't go beyond hugging or kissing is what I mean. As for soulmates, I think it's just romantic. If you are starting to think your best friend is a soulmate, that's a pretty good sign that you're falling in love. Are you talking about...?"

Seongwoo blushed and put down his phone, face down in case a message came and Minhyun saw the title. "I'm not talking about anyone. It was just a thought I had while reading a poem several weeks ago."

 "Hmm..." Minhyun stared at him and made him break into a nervous sweat and fiddle his fingers.

"What? Really it's no one...not like I even have a best friend..."

 Minhyun raised an eyebrow and looked amused. "If you aren't in love with someone, then date me. I need a distraction from Jaehwan. We can experiment, Seongwoo, and you can see if it's possible you like guys."

"Neh?!" Seongwoo stuttered his voice raising and squeaking at the end of the syllable, his large eyes expanding to the size of saucers. Minhyun had taken his hands and moved closer. "W-what are y-you doing? Being w-weird...You don't like m-me...."

Minhyun smiled softly. "Are you sure about that? We are close friends and I find you funny and sweet and attractive, Seongwoo. Maybe I am not in love with you just yet and I don't think I can ever love anyone other than him. But I definitely like you and I’m attracted to you. I can imagine dating you and kissing you. You're wondering what it's like these days, aren't you? But not with me, with someone else you're close to. Why don't you use me as an experiment? Test the waters? See if you can be attracted to guys or is it that you just care about him and are attracted to him?"

 "I'm not attracted to him. Or am I? I don't think I am. I don’t like guys. Do I? I'm confused, ugh..."

Minhyun came to Seongwoo's side and linked their fingers together, holding hands intimately. Seongwoo looked down with a shy, embarassed flush. That felt nice but it was also off and somewhat weird. It didn't feel as right and as nice as when Daniel touched him and it didn't do the same things to his insides.

 "It's different than thinking he's handsome. That's just an observation. It's when you hug or kiss. There will be this spark. You think odd little things are attractive about him like the way he drinks or when he's sweaty."

 "Uh oh..."

"You have thought that then?" Minhyun's smile widened.

"Maybe and I thought it was weird I thought that...but I never imagined kissing him."

 "Yet."

Seongwoo gulped and looked at his phone that had beeped with another message apparently, seeing as the table it was facing lit up. "Um, yet..."

Minhyun observed him staring hard at the phone with a huge flush. "Ah, that's who it was. Just like we all figured..."

"Neh?"

"Never mind. Seongwoo, go on a few dates with me this month. I will help you sort through your feelings and discover more about your orientation and feelings for him, hmm? I'm an expert at this, trust me. I am like the controller of the gay closets."

"Um... okay..." He agreed reluctantly. "But kissing is a no..."

Minhyun chuckled softly and bumped his shoulder, squeezing his fingers. "Because you would rather save it for Niel?"

"N-no! It’s not Niel! I'm leaving! Don't tease me!"

 

 

Seongwoo grabbed his book and phone, shaking off Minhyun's hand, and ran away from the cafe back to his apartment. He finally remembered to check his messages several minutes later.

 I am going to call you in fifteen minutes. You should get back home.

Are you on your way?

Stop chatting with Minhyun. Unless he's a doctor and I'm not aware of it.

You're ignoring me again. Grr....

The posts were followed by a ton of gifs of growling, glaring, barking, pacing, and chewing on things Samoyed puppies.

"Woops."

Sorry, we were talking about something important. I'm at home. Sorry sorry sorry sorry~

Seongwoo sent a gif of the begging dance part from the Super Junior MV which happened to be a favorite song of theirs and they both could do the whole dance of. Daniel read it instantly. Seongwoo liked somehow that Daniel had the chat open just waiting for him to come in. It was cute and sweet. No one else did that with him.

 Why did he think that way of Daniel this past year so often? Why was he missing him terribly, excited to talk to him beyond explainable reason, and why was he jealous of these mystery friends and wondering how close he was to them?

Right after, Daniel was calling. Seongwoo put a hand over his chest to calm his slamming heart, his whole body jittery and his cheeks hurting from smiling. He was going to hear that charming voice finally.

"Ong Seongwoo~"

"Kang Daniel~"

They both called each other's full names bright and loud and laughed. The sound of Daniel's deep, accented, voice and dorky, thick laugh did odd things to his nervous system. He smiled wider as he went and laid down in Daniel's bed where he slept now because it was more comfortable, probably because his things were still here as well as a hint of his scent. He hadn't realized how nice the man smelt until he was gone. That's why their room had always smelt great to him, he realized.

Seongwoo felt happy enough that tears sprang to his eyes. Daniel was right there across the machine. If he closed his eyes as they talked, it would feel like he was right there next to him. Which meant that for a brief moment everything in his world would go back to being right.

"So...What's eating at you that you can't eat anything?"

Seongwoo chuckled at the lame pun. "It's nothing much. Just related to you..."

"Why? What did I do? Because I interrupted your date? Should I not have messaged you? Fine then, I see how it is, just let me know your flippin' date schedule with Emperor Hwang so that I don’t make such an offensive mistake," Daniel sounded offended and irritated.

"No, no. That's fine you interrupted us. I'm glad you did. I just um...it's just that um..."

 "Is um a new word I don't know about? Like how you put the Ong sound on everything? Or you do a a a when you do your victory dance?" Daniel teased, sounding a bit more amicable.

 It's just that I miss you and I wish you would come back this instant, he thought in his head and mouthed.

He somehow terribly wanted to say it now no matter how Daniel interpreted it. According to Minhyun, it was likely he had been slowly crushing on and becoming attracted Daniel despite he was a guy and now that was developing into love with him being gone. Seongwoo was a person who thought that people could be attracted to anyone they liked so the idea that he could like guys instead of girls or just this particular one didn't freak him out necessarily. The part that freaked him out was that Daniel was straight and his best friend meaning that he would likely lose him if he confessed.

 "This place just feels a lot duller and empty with you gone. It's sort of weirding me out and making me bummed…"

 "Oh, are you getting nightmares? I know the best thing for that..."

Daniel was oblivious to the subtle hint and confession he gave there. He went on to explain how to prevent nightmares happening and how to feel better after you had one seeing as he frequently suffered them.

Their conversation went on from there naturally. They talked about what was new in their lives and any cool, interesting, or funny events or sights. They ended up talking for two hours, not realizing the time flew because they were having a great time chatting instead of texting.

Eventually, Seongwoo had to go the bathroom so they decided to call it a night with him having school tomorrow and homework he hadn't done.

"I envy you playing around every day."

 "It's not as fun as I make it sound, trust me. Just trying to make me jealous because you're cute that way."

Seongwoo bit his finger nails, smiling, heating up with feverish feelings, and his heart racing. "Do you...find me cute very often?" He asked soft and hesitantly.

 It was a miracle Daniel had heard that. He had been rather hoping he wouldn't have and he could have just let it go.

 "Sure, all the time. Most people do, I'm certain. Especially your friends who know your Ongcheongie side best. You are cutest when you're Ddongwu."

"Ddongwu is sooo not cutie. Ddongwo is Ddokddanghae. Because Nielie is nomu hae, nomu hae~" Seongwoo did a baby voice with mixed English/Korean and pouted doing the Twice dance move.

He was rewarded for his silly act with a husky, deep, sweet laugh. "Aw, I can picture it already. It's a lethal move. Ah, how I miss you hyung..."

"Neh?" Seongwoo repeated, scared to hear that he misheard or was misinterpreting that. His pulse was sky-rocketing and he completely froze, even losing the ability to breath for a moment. “W-what did you say?”

Daniel spoke in a hurried stutter, "I-I miss that. You know, you being funny. And I miss er.... Speaking in Korean. You have a fear of speaking, remember? So we always speak our mother tongue in our rooms. I never realized how much more comfortable it was..."

Ah, it's not that he misses me or I make him comfortable, it's just something else then, I almost misunderstood, he thought with his heart calming and sinking as it had lifted higher than a kite there for a single moment.

"Ah, is that all you meant? You had me confused there. Be careful with your word choice, dummy."

"What did you think I meant? Something weird?"

"Yeah, very weird."

"Ah, so it's weird to miss something else..."

"I don't know. Is it? Depends on what you meant when you said it?"

They both shared an awkward laugh, equally wondering why they were talking in circles around each other about Daniel's earlier statement. It was like they were trying to hint at or lead the other in some direction but both were lost wanderers.

 Seongwoo wondered and hoped that it had just slipped out randomly that Daniel had missed him but he almost didn't dare to. It wasn't really in Daniel's personality to hide his feelings or take something back or say something he didn't mean. It had probably just been a mistake. Daniel was wondering if Seongwoo had picked up on his slip ups here and there but the other was difficult to read.

They said goodbye after confirming Daniel would be coming back sometime towards the end of the next month and they made a promise to call again and text more often if their schedules allowed. From then on, the waiting game started. Seongwoo went on dates with Minhyun to try to sort out his feelings. Daniel, who decided Seongwoo must have picked up on his hints, waited for him to message first this time. Seongwoo was thinking that Daniel was busy and would eventually text him so he did as he had previously did, continuously waiting.

Three weeks passed and they still had yet to contact each other. This made Seongwoo anxious but no matter how he felt he couldn't seriously date Minhyun because he realized he wasn't attracted to him. The more and more he saw pictures of Daniel and analyzed his feelings and thoughts during their interactions the more he realized that he was only this way with Daniel not just any guy. Which meant that he loved Daniel and it was very likely that soulmates did exist after all.

 

 

Over two months had passed since Daniel left for Canada. The time since Daniel had said around that he would be back had passed several days before. Seongwoo was annoyed and hurt and anxious. After not hearing from Daniel for two weeks, he had finally sent him a message.

Are you alive?

Daniel hadn't read it. The only calls he got were from some spam voice fishing numbers, one that was persistent about calling twice a day, and his friends and family. He was thinking maybe something had happened to Daniel after three weeks and wondering what he needed to do. He would call Daniel's mother and ask if he actually knew her contact information. He didn't have his emails.

Every time he called, his phone was switched off or he didn't answer. All he could do was check their chat every day and see that Daniel still hadn't read any of his messages. If Daniel wasn't back by next week, he was going to ask the school for his personal information and explain they were in an emergency situation. He wasn't sure they would give it to him, but as Daniel's roommate and being known for being extremely according to rumors possibly too much close friends, it was possible. He was the persuasive sort, enough to charm snakes out of reed baskets.

 Since it was the middle of Spring, it was still raining when Seongwoo got outside the cafe from ‘breaking up’ with his ‘boyfriend’ Minhyun. Seongwoo had apologized that he couldn't return his feelings because he couldn't get Daniel off his mind and he didn't think that was fair to him. He just couldn't like Minhyun that way no matter how sweet or handsome or compatible he was. Seongwoo preferred to have the opposite.

He was thinking how much he would like to have Daniel here at this moment so he could confess this huge blob of feelings that was making him feel choked up and he wanted to be relieved from if he could just throw them at something. Two months he had been dealing with this, maybe longer. He had started feeling weird since he read that definition about soulmates and Daniel said that he was going to be leaving.

Deep in thought, he looked out from under his umbrella at the pink and white flowery trees he was walking past. He had walked into a small forest of them in the nearby park. He recalled that this was where he met Daniel for the first time, about two years ago.

At that time, they had both come out after signing the papers to be transferred here. They would be living away from their families and with strangers for the first time. Plus, the idea of new friends and studying English only in classes was a bit terrifying. They had both wondered around the park, finding the stroll and flower gazing comforting to their racing hearts, nervous, anxious, and shivering bodies. Seongwoo had sat on a fence underneath the trees.

Daniel had been passing by where he was standing and there hadn’t been anyone else by chance at that moment. He stopped to look up at the large cherry tree that Daniel had thought was the prettiest pink of all. Their eyes had met and they had both smiled for a moment. Seongwoo had waved, hoping that the kind, cute looking man in flannel and a cap over his blonde hair would want to be his first and hopefully not last friend. He seemed like a nice guy, though rather shy and stand-offish.

 Then, he had started falling backwards on the fence. Daniel had rushed over and grabbed his legs, stopping him from falling over. Seongwoo squealed, first windmilling his arms, and then hugging the stranger who saved him for dear life. Seongwoo had a fear of falling ever since he was a child and he was in a great panic even though it was only a few feet up off the ground and the floor was covered in plush green grass.

 "Thank you. You saved my life," Seongwoo panted as he realized this guy had the broadest shoulders he had ever seen, making him confused for a moment if he had been saved from a bear.

 The man was lightly tinted pink and his white cap was covered with a similar colored pile of petals. His face was really handsome and warm looking like he should be smiling often but he forced himself not to. There was this sort of gloomy look in his light brown eyes barely visible under his shaggy dark cloud of wavy hair.

For several seconds, they both just blinked at each other and didn't know what to say. As if they were frozen in time, nothing else seemed to moving or making noise around them. They were struck by awkwardness at the rather romantic mood and position and by thoughts that the other was one of the most good-looking guy which they hardly ever thought twice about before.

Daniel was the first to have broken the silence nearly a minute later, offering a charming, crooked half-smile as he teased in a deep, thick Busan accent that Seongwoo had not been expecting and admitted that it made his heart flutter just a bit. That was a really attractive sound.

"I am hardly a hero. Just at the right place at the right time. You should be more careful."

Seongwoo laughed and brushed his cheek with a finger in embarrassment. "I try to be but I'm pretty much the clumsiest person in the world. I have the nickname in my hometown of Incheon, Ongcheongie."

 "Ah, you're from Incheon? I'm from Yongdo in Busan. Not mongcheongie though?" Daniel asked curiously.

They both realized then that Daniel was still standing close and holding on to his leg and Seongwoo had an arm around his shoulder. Daniel stepped back and leaned on the fence, one leg propped up on the lower rung, looking up at the cherry blossoms from under his cap brim which pitch color contrasted with the light pink. It seemed he wasn't used to talking with direct eye contact.

Daniel didn't talk this much with any stranger so it was rather odd for him that these questions and personal information got out. Maybe he was feeling lonely and wanting to make a friend. Somehow this guy seemed to have a pull. You just sort of wanted to know more about him. Maybe it was his ethereal beauty and this sense of there being something deep and serene in his lithe, fragile seeming body.

"Ah, that is because my name is Ong Seongwoo."

Daniel’s eyes popped open. "Ong? Hmm, never met an Ong in my life."

"We are pretty rare. Maybe we are vampires," he joked.

Daniel pretended to act like a vampire and that's when Seongwoo realized he had two long front teeth like a rabbit.

"Some people ask me for signatures. I thought it was because they recognized me from an online shopping mall. But it was because they saw my name on a prescription bag."

They both laughed. They both observed the other had a really nice sounding laugh and that theirs were quite different from each other. Seongwoo’s was more light, airy, and musical while Daniel’s was deep, thick, and husky.

"So, you are a model," Daniel observed with interest, thinking that he probably should have guessed with how handsome this Ong Seongwoo was.

"Part time. I just started this expensive school and I didn't have a good enough score to get a scholarship."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry I was one of them that took it. That's pretty cool you're a model though. I don't even know how to take a decent selfie."

Seongwoo smiled kindly. Daniel thought he had one of those smiles that really warmed up a person from the inside out and made you want to trust them and give them all you had as a gift. "I can show you. Are you busy now?"

 "Well, I just moved my things in. I noticed my roommate moved in but he hasn't come back. Our room is just full of seal dolls."

"Ah, really? Seals are cute, so I understand. I collect them myself. My roommate hasn't come yet."

"Since we're both at this school, I'll see you around I bet. Let me know if you need saving from any more clumsy falls."

Seongwoo popped his eyes out and gasped dramatically, making Daniel chuckle. "Hopefully not. I saw my life flash before my eyes there. It was terrifying."

Daniel waved and they parted ways, both hoping to see each other again and that their roommate was going to be a nice person they could talk comfortably to.

 

 

"Wow, we have really come a long way since then. Who would have thought that fate would bring us together like that? Getting along before we even knew we were roommates. Maybe that should have been my sign. Soulmates, hmm.... Not so Impossible seeming now...I should ask Daniel about it later whenever he gets here. I wish he would get ahold of me soon…"

He was interrupted from his first ever pleasant thoughts in a long while by a buzzing in his pocket. He wondered with a burst of excitement if Daniel had telepathically read his mind and was calling him. He stopped walking and took out his phone careful that it didn't get hit by the rain. He was annoyed to the point of throwing his phone, except that he recalled at the last second that it was expensive, at seeing that it was that spam number that called repeatedly.

"Stop calling. I don't want whatever it is you're selling. If you call one more time, I will --"

 "Ong Seongwoo! You finally picked up! Freaking A, dude!"

"Neh?"

Seongwoo was dumb struck. That voice was familiar. Who was it?

"Ongcheongie~ Yah, hyung! It's been a few weeks and you don't recognize my voice though I talked to you every day for two years? I am officially put out, hmph," the deep, accented voice spouted.

"D-daniel?" Seongwoo squeaked, then he cleared his throat and tried to sound calmer than he was. "Where are you calling from? I don’t recognize this number…"

"I'm calling from a prepaid international phone obviously, dummy. Why did it take you so long to pick up? I have been calling you on this every day for weeks!"

"I thought this was a spam number. Who answers numbers they don't know? Why haven't you messaged me back? I was worried something happened to you! Are you so busy having fun and texting new friends you just ignore people's messages from here now? And don't answer or call back?" He snapped, getting louder.

"I lost my phone at a restaurant. I think it got stolen. I knew you would be angry so I have been calling you repeatedly. I didn’t have your email. I figured even with your clueless brain even you would figure out someone that has called you forty times was probably someone important reaching you for a special urgent reason," Daniel explained, also a bit snappy.

"Why didn't you send me a message with this phone? Then I would have known right away."

"I only bought minutes."

"Why did you do that for? People message now not call. You could have commented on my Instagram photo. You know my ID!"

"Well, I happen to like the idea of calling you instead. I want to hear your voice. I have things I want to say that I don’t want all your fans to see."

"Why would you? You forgot all about me with your new friends and fantastic life. You didn't even come back when you said you would. You're not coming back yet, are you? You’re the one that has all of these new friends you’re always hanging out with and bragging about."

"I want to hear your voice because I miss you. I came back to Korea because I miss you. I don't want to stay in Canada because I miss you so much that it's no fun at all and I've been miserable. I don’t want the whole world to know that I miss you and not having a good time in Canada simply because I can’t experience things there with you. I was just exaggerating because I felt like you were having all this fun and okay with out me. I hardly made any friends and I was staying inside most of the time playing with dogs and my Nintendo. Okay? You get it now, dummy? Sorry, I was being childish. I don’t want to live like that anymore. So, I’m just going to be honest now that I’ve finally managed to freaking get ahold of you. I have missed you every moment of every day and I wanted to rush back here. Then my plane had an accident so I got stuck on a delay in Singapore. Otherwise I would have been here to tell you all of this over a week ago.”

“You…what? Say that again please…” Seongwoo leaned against the fence whereabout he and Daniel had first met at, staring with bugged out eyes at the rain puddle near his feat that had boat like pink petals swirling about like dancing a ballet. That rapid-fire, emotionally charged speech that was pretty much more like angry rap was too much too fast for him to process.

“You darn Ongcheongie. I will tell you the most important part simply so you can get it. Listen loud and clear, pay attention now. I missed you. A whole freaking lot. I don’t know if you felt the same way. Probably not seeing as you’re having so much fun with your new bestie Minhyun. You should be careful of him, he’s a bit of a wolf you know and he could be using you to try to get over Jaehwan. I don’t like it…”

Seongwoo smiled and chuckled, his heart flipping and butterflies flying about in his stomach, making him near queasy with happiness. Of course he didn’t like it. Because it made him jealous. Because Daniel liked him too, not just as a friend. Maybe he realized it or maybe he hadn’t. Seongwoo had realized it and was happy that he would finally be able to admit it. Daniel wasn’t as off limits as he had thought it would seem.

Daniel…likes…me….too! Doesn’t he? Oh, what is air~ Breathe, Ong, breathe!

Seongwoo took a deep breath and gripped the fence post tight for support. As he slipped out a shaky breath, he pushed out his confession as quick and with as much confidence as he could before he lost the courage or the timing, “I missed you too and you have nothing to worry about with Minhyun. He’s not the guy that would turn me gay.”

“What does that mean? You think you might turn gay? Have you met someone recently?”

Seongwoo smiled slightly. “Now who’s being the clueless and dense one, Nielie? Forget it. I will tell you what I mean when you get back to the dorm.”

“I’m on my way actually. Are you there?”

“I’m out at the park with the forest of cherry trees.”

“No way, so am I…?”

“Really? I don’t see…” Seongwoo climbed up on the middle ring of the fence so that he could see better around the pink, blossoming trees.

“Ong!”

There Daniel was dressed in a hoodie, jeans, and cap, holding a black umbrella and waving his hand with the phone wide and welcome.

“Daniel? Daniel!”

Seongwoo excitedly waved back but his fingers were slightly wet so that caused his phone to slip. He tried to catch it on his way down but it was slippery like his fingers were covered in butter. It fell to the floor and that was when Seongwoo realized that he was perilously on one foot, leaning forward, and his foot was slipping off the rung. He flailed his arms and tried to grab the pole before he fell.

Suddenly, Daniel was there, catching him just before he hit the ground, and righting him. Seongwoo gripped his shoulders tight and put all his might into centering his source of balance again. Daniel chuckled as he helped him sit up on the fence and looked up at him with a bright, beaming, gorgeous grin, his warm, solid hands sturdily holding his legs in case he were to tip again.

Seognwoo had yet again panicked and seen his life flash before his eyes just like he had that fateful day. Funnily enough, it had been in this very spot at the same season and setting. The only difference was that it was raining, but it was only drizzling now. Good thing because both of them had dropped their umbrellas in the process and seeing as they had their hands on each other and something magical was about to happen judging by what had just been revealed over the phone, they weren’t going to be picking them up any time soon.

“This certainly seems familiar. What drama have I seen this romantic scene before? Hmm…” Daniel teased, rubbing his thumbs over his knees.

Seongwoo flushed and squeezed his shoulders. Those broad shoulders he used to complain about being too large so he had trouble laying on the bed with him or standing next to him to brush his teeth. He really wanted to throw himself in Daniel’s arms and squeeze him tight. It was great to have him here, though seeing how out of the blue it was, it almost felt like a dream.

“You saved me again. Two years after, just like back then, same time and same place. Isn’t that like…”

“Fate? Yes, maybe so. Maybe we are soulmates. I’ve been sort of thinking about that lately and what you showed me. Maybe soulmates isn’t necessarily just romantic or for boys and girls. When I think of how you are the opposite of me and how you have made me a better person and how you have given me all this advice that has led me to be happy almost every day when I used to be mostly depressed, well, I start believing. What about you?”

“I think the same way you do. I have been thinking that though I don’t know if it’s possible or not, if I were to say the definition of a soulmate and try to pinpoint who that would be, I would say that I am pretty sure that I have found that, in you. I missed you too. How did you mean it though?” he asked shyly, biting at his lip, unable to pull away from looking at Daniel’s handsome face.

Daniel was even better looking than he remembered. Somehow, now after he had talked to Minhyun and started accepting things about himself too, there was something there that he hadn’t necessarily felt before when they were close like this. He felt attracted to Daniel. He wanted to hug him and he wanted to try kissing him. It would be his first, which was a huge deal. However, he couldn’t imagine who else would give him a better first kiss or who better he wanted to forever share that precious memory with.

“I meant it romantically. I missed you the way that a boyfriend would pine for his girlfriend when he goes away to the army.”

“I missed you that way too. I was acting like how a wife would when her husband goes away for a business trip. Constantly waiting for a message or call, wearing your clothes, sleeping in your bed, looking at old photos…”

“Seems like we’re quite stuck on each other then, right on the same page. Funny how we don’t realize this until we are both apart and there’s nothing we can do about it. Your density rubbed off on me staying in the same room, I suppose. I think our classmates would have a riot if they knew. Apparently, the things they thought about us were right. Only we were being pabos.”

“You’re more of a pabo. At least I realized over a month ago. You just figured it out, didn’t you?”

Daniel grinned sheepishly and nodded, his puffy cheeks tinting with a splash of pale pink like the cherry blossom trees behind his head, crowning him in fluff and making the masculine man look exceptionally pretty. “You know me well, Ongcheongie. Yes, I figured it out just when I was able to get ahold of you. We were fighting but all I could think about was that it was great to hear your angelic voice and that I wanted to hear it every morning and every night for the rest of my life. I think that I like you rather intensely. Not sure how I didn’t notice it. I’ve been thinking of you possessively and I’ve considered you cute and handsome for this whole past year at least.”

“Yes, I guess that should have been a sign. My sign should have been when I started thinking you looked sexy doing the most mundane things, like shaving or blow drying your hair or the way you drink beer or how sweaty you get after working out. I should have figured it out when all I wanted to do was scream ‘don’t go, I will be lonely, I’m terrified you will get close to others and forget me’ when you told me about your opportunity to go to Canada.”

“I didn’t honestly want to go, you know. The first thought I had was that I didn’t want to be away from you at all. I figured my life would be a lot more boring and it truly was. I was scared you would get a new best friend. How stupid of us not to have said anything.”

“I thought you would be weirded out by it. It’s not something guys would do, no matter how close friends they are. I was worried you would have an odd reaction and we’d experience a falling out.”

“Same here.”

They both smiled warmly at each other, brushing their hands in an innocent, sweet way over each other. Daniel pushed between his legs and hugged his waist. They had hugged a few times and even cuddled in bed before but this felt completely different than any of those times. Now they both understood their own feelings and that the crush was mutual, it took on a whole different context. Their hearts raced and their bodies warmed despite the cool, misty rain drops soaking their skin through their drenched clothes. Seongwoo held Daniel’s sharp jawline and lifted his head up, his pretty, long lashed, chocolate colored eyes flickering between Daniel’s squinty, nearly disappearing eyes with one with a mole underneath and his shyly curved lips.

“I want to try something. Is that okay?” Seongwoo whispered.

“Anything you want is okay, Ong. You know I’ve never been able to deny you. Even when I refused to be close to you and especially when I refused vehemently to do meditation, you won me over with your deadly charm. I’m yours for experimentation. Do as you please with my body.”

Seongwoo flushed and giggled, thinking that sounded awfully naughty. Typically, they would make some sort of dirty joke about this, often turning it into their most favorite, ‘Your Mom’ or ‘That’s what she said’ jokes. He decided against it this time though several perfect ones floated into his ingenius mind. This was a romantic time, their first of many. This was the moment that was going to change the nature of their relationship forever. It needed to be perfect, sweet and serious and meaningful. That way it would become a precious memory just like the others, especially their first day when they had bonded without even knowing that they were roommates.

Seongwoo spoke with hesitant stutters and nervous pauses, his heart racing a mile a minute and sweat mixing with the water pooling between his palms and Daniel’s drenched hoodie. “I’m going to kiss you now. I hope that it feels right, not wrong. I hope that it changes us for the better and not the worse. Because I like you, I think, and I want this to work out in a way that you will be the first special friend I’ve ever had. But I’m also aware that you have kissed girls and enjoyed that. I’m worried that if it doesn’t feel right, we’re going to get awkward and I’m going to lose the best friend I have ever had. I don’t think I’ve debated something so much since before I started meditating.”

“Don’t worry, Ong. I am imagining kissing you since a few minutes ago as well. I’m excited about it, extremely so in fact. You should feel my heart, it’s like a drum. You’re not that much different than a girl. Let’s try it. Don’t be scared. We’re going to be alright, I can feel it. We’ve already started the process. Definitely we are changing for the better. Progressing as soulmates should. And you will never lose me, whatever were to happen. Let’s get this Ongiel party bus on the road finally, for real~” Daniel replied brightly, washing away all of Seongwoo’s worries and hesitation like the spring rain was doing to their skin.

Daniel closed his eyes and pursed his lips, standing up on his tip toes and pressing closer to Seongwoo’s face. Seongwoo tilted his head and held his breath, staring at Daniel’s naturally pink, plush, silky looking lips, praying that his first kiss wouldn’t disappoint his best friend since he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He inched closer and closer at a snail’s pace, his pulse out of control and his chest filled with tingling pain from the love he was experiencing and the excitement and terror of this coming moment. Their lips finally met, both pursed, gentle, and sweetly pecking as soon as they made contact.

The feeling for both of them was just as Minhyun had described. Although it was a simple gentle innocent peck, the feeling was intense. Like an electric shock through their body that left pleasure and bliss instead of shock and pain. It was surreal, incredible, and absolutely perfect, making birds chirp in their brains.

They kissed a few more explorative, slow times, their lips sliding easily with the rain. Seongwoo inhaled and pulled Daniel closer, to wanting to break contact for a moment even and impulsively wanting more. Daniel hugged him tight to his chest and shifted their lips so that he could pull Seongwoo’s lower lip to suck on it. Their attraction exploded like fireworks at the grand finale from that very moment. They both latched onto each other’s clothes and lips, sucking, nibbling, licking and groaning with a fever neither had expected, acting on primal impulses neither were very familiar with.

To be honest, Daniel had done nothing but peck the girls he had dated because he had honestly not felt much chemistry between them to the point that the kisses were enjoyable enough that he desired to attempt anything more. Seongwoo though, kissing Seongwoo was an addiction he was developing greater than that he had for jellies and ramen, and that was saying a lot if you knew the guy.

They were so lost in kissing and hugging each other tight under that cherry blossom tree in the middle of a spring rain shower, pouring out and absorbing the feelings that they had been harboring and desperately hoping to get out to the other for years once they realized what they were exactly. They didn’t notice that the rain had stopped and a strong wind had come, showering their hair and shoulders with piles of dancing pink and white blossoms, bathing them in a scent that was the sweetest thing in the world only next to this very moment when two people realized that soulmates did exist and these two clueless, dense morons had been spending every day together the last two years without an idea what they truly meant to each other. Now they knew and they were going to be taking full advantage of it. This was their first promise.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is for my friend and fellow scientist and avid reader Rave. This plot was a prompt she gave me and ideas that we fleshed out together, though some of this is a surprise for her and just my creative ideas flowing out. Happy birthday, beautiful, funny, sweet, smart, and naughty maknae on top~ I'm glad to know you as a friend. Thank you for being a loyal supporter of my work and for fangirling and being concerned about my health. You really make me smile and laugh every day, taking my stress levels down which will be doing wonders for my healthy. I love you and will continue to support you in all your endeavors, anything you want my feedback or help on, wether it be translation or life advice or your stories, I'm here for you and willing to be your back up ^^ (Her stories are really good btw don't mind her being shy saying she's not any good, wow amazing for a writer rookie~ https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravepirate)
> 
> Let's keep loving Ong forever and ever and fangirling about his sweet voice, ethereal looks, bum, Ddongwo-ness, incredible acts of constant extra-ness, bulge and cheasy, greasy aegyo. Super glad to have gotten close to you. I hope that your birthday is a day full of fun and wonders. I will be seeing you around of course. I hope that you enjoy this present and that it's everything that you wanted and imagined. If there's something you want changed or added, just let me know. I really don't mind. This story is all for you and others can just come along for the ride on this fluffy comical school romance story.
> 
>  
> 
> If you read all the way to the end of this monster, major kudos to you. You basically did a fanfic marathon~ *pats your head and gives you some water. Comment juseyong~~~~~~~~~ 


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